Three-Year Lifeline: Ratcliffe’s Backing Breathes New Life into Ruben Amorim at Manchester United
8 October 2025
The Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim at Manchester United has received a three-year assurance from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of the club’s owners, that he will be shielded from the exit door for the foreseeable future.
Earlier reports had suggested Amorim could be dismissed given the disappointing results since taking over in November.
Former United star Paul Scholes even warned of an imminent departure, saying: "With Ruben Amorim, I think we’ve reached a stage where we don’t want to talk about firing coaches all the time."
Ratcliffe, speaking on Times Radio, stated that Amorim needs time to prove himself and that a three-year horizon is fair for a project of this scale.
Manchester United currently sit around tenth in the Premier League and were eliminated early from the League Cup; the season has featured three defeats, three wins and one draw.
The owner acknowledged the pressure from the media and the public, noting that journalists crave instant success and treat every setback as a headline event.
He added that managing a club of Manchester United’s size cannot be done by reacting to every weekly critic.
Limited Victories
Amorim’s spell began with a resounding 4-0 win over Everton in December 2024, a match that showcased a revived attacking style.
That momentum continued with a 2-1 derby victory over Manchester City at the Etihad, signaling a restoration of United’s swagger.
Early 2025 brought a 3-1 win against Southampton and a 1-0 away victory at Fulham.
In February, United edged Ipswich Town 3-2 in a thrilling contest.
March produced a convincing 3-0 win over Leicester City, and May ended the previous season with a 2-0 win against Aston Villa.
In the new 2025-2026 campaign, the team opened with a 3-2 win over Burnley and a 2-1 victory against Chelsea, followed by a 2-0 triumph at Sunderland in October, keeping the survival of Amorim’s project in view.
Currently United occupy tenth place in the Premier League with 10 points, earned through three wins and a draw, against three defeats.
A New Era at United
Ratcliffe—the British businessman behind INEOS—emerged as a pivotal figure in English football after taking a stake in Manchester United in early 2024, heralding a shift away from the prior Glazer-era uncertainties.
The new owner has focused on rebuilding the club’s sporting and administrative structures, bringing in experts for contracts, sports management, and academy development, and has shown a clear interest in upgrading the Carrington training ground and the Old Trafford infrastructure.
The strategic aim is to balance world-class talent with bright homegrown prospects, guided by disciplined scientific planning rather than impulsive choices, and to appoint European experts while maintaining trust in Amorim’s leadership.
Although ownership remains partial, the improved working environment and growing fan support reflect Ratcliffe’s emphasis on returning decision-making to experienced hands and restoring transparency.
Ratcliffe aspires to restore Manchester United to European elite status through a realistic, well-structured project that blends ambition with practical steps.
During the latest transfer window, the Ratcliffe regime backed Amorim with signings he requested and moved on some players brought in by his predecessor Erik ten Hag, in the hope of translating Amorim’s ideas into on-pitch performance.
Three years, a press conference, and a hopeful squad—let’s see if the plan ages as well as a fine wine or if it ends up aging like a post-match roast in the studio.
Punchline 1: If patience were a winger, Amorim would be sprinting down the line for three seasons straight.
Punchline 2: And if the media ever hits the target, it’ll be because the headline moved the goalposts again.
